Malta has refused to give a permission to a vessel to disembark 52 migrants it rescued from the high seas on Saturday before other European states pledge to take their fair share, a spokesman of the government said on Sunday, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
The spokesman said that a special concession was made to allow the vessel, the Talia, to enter Maltese territorial waters to shelter from the bad weather that is affecting the Mediterranean region due to strong winds.
According to NGO Alarm Phone, which offers a hotline service for people in distress at sea, Malta’s rescue and coordination centre instructed the Talia, a registered livestock carrier, to rescue the migrants who were in distress since Friday. The rescue took place on Saturday.
The Talia has been refused to enter Italian territorial waters by the regional authorities in Lampedusa
